Updating LSI MegaRAID firmware in VMware ESXi 5

I recently built a new server to run VMware ESXi. After installing ESXi 5.0 update 1 and applying the latest patch (ESXi500-201207001), I decided I should update the firmware on the installed MegaRAID SAS 9261-8i RAID controller. I have a SLAX install on a USB flash drive to do this kind of thing, but I couldn’t find it. I opted to try using the ESXi console.

I downloaded the latest MegaCLI (version 8.04.07) and used sftp to copy “CLI_VMWare_8.04.07.zip” to /tmp on the ESXi file system. After extracting the “MegaCLI” binary I ran into a problem caused by a missing library.

A quick Google search suggested a staged update, that is, update to a firmware that is not quite as new as the latest, and from there go to the latest firmware. Annoyingly, the 9261-8i product page only listed the latest firmware for download, but by going to the general support page I found some older firmwares (hint: after expanding “FIRMWARE”, click on the “Archived” link). I downloaded the oldest one available, version 12.11.0-0016, copied the ROM file to the ESXi file system, and ran the update. Success!

I figure I won’t be using MegaCLI much so installing the VIB as needed doesn’t seem likely to be a hassle. If it gets annoying I can always install it and ignore the warning (if any). I hope this helps someone. Some of it is covered in the excellent Mastering VMware vSphere 5 from Sybex (and probably the updated Mastering VMware vSphere 5.5) but the rest required piecing things together from Google searches and trial and error.

There’s a new MegaCLI (version 8.07.07) available. The zip (8.07.07_MegaCLI.zip) contains a vib file (vmware-esx-MegaCli-8.07.07.vib) which can be installed using the same procedure as detailed above.

I installed this vib on a host running ESXi 5.1 Update 1 with the latest patch (ESXi510-201305001 / build 1117900) and it works fine. I successfully upgraded my 9261-8i to the latest firmware (12.13.0-0154 / 2.130.383-2315).

Thanks!! I just spent many, many hours to update my LSI MEGARAID SAS 9260-4i from 12.0.1-0081 to 12.13.0.0154 within ESXi 5.1. After reading your blog and using 12.11.0-0016 inbetween it took only another 10 minutes to update the firmware

Thanks! Your post helped a lot. I have been spending the last few days trying to downgrade my firmware without any success until I read your step-by-step instructions. The only change I’d made is to add “-noverchk” before “-a0” to flash to the older firmware.

This helped a lot. Thanks for taking the time to write this up. The LSI documentation really is lacking. I mean you can not even get the vibs to install without using the –no-sig-check but they fail to mention that to start with.